- Title
- Experiences of the 1996-2006 civil conflict in Nepal: narratives of engagement of Tamangs (indigenous people) and Bahun-Chhetris (non-indigenous people)
- Creator
- Tamang, Asha Lal
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2013
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- This thesis explores people’s experiences of the recent political insurgency in Nepal that impinged upon, and transformed everyday life in rural communities. Since 1996, the civil conflict has killed more than 13,000 people, injured thousands, displaced many others, and damaged innumerable properties. Employing qualitative techniques: focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and extended family case studies - the study has generated knowledge from two groups: a marginalised indigenous people - the Tamangs; and the dominant non-indigenous people - the Bahun-Chhetris. Findings imply that poor governance and injustice was the root cause of the conflict, and that was fuelled by pervasive discrimination and low socio-economic status, especially for those in rural areas, and for members of marginal groups. The civil conflict severely affected livelihoods and national development. Access to basic social services, especially health and education, was restricted. Overall, livelihood opportunities were reduced. Rural people adopted various coping strategies to maintain their survival; among them: silence, avoidance and adaptation. The impact of the conflict was different for Tamangs and Bahun-Chhetris, and so were some of the coping strategies. The higher socio-economic status and better networking skills of the Bahun-Chhetris gave them a distinct advantage. Both men and women participated in the civil conflict. The bravery of female rebels convinced the government to recruit women into the national military forces. Through the Maoist rhetoric and promises, the civil conflict raised the people’s awareness overall and increased expectations, leading to the post-conflict emergence of some intensified ‘identity politics’ based on ethnicity, religion and geographical differences. Neither the Maoists nor the government gained an ultimate victory in the war. Nonetheless, post-conflict, Nepal became a 'Federal Democratic Republic' with the Maoist Party in control. The main leaders of the new government in the New Nepal came from among the Bahun-Chhetris with the inclusion of a few ethnic elites. Post-conflict transformation in the New Nepal has been very slow, particularly in establishing peace and security, and institutionalising democracy and human rights. Indigenous groups and marginalised minorities feel that their needs and demands have not been met, despite the promises of Maoist rhetoric during the civil war, and continuing policy initiatives of the current government. There is still a risk of local and perhaps widespread civil insurgency, especially if people’s expectations and the post-conflict issues are not addressed appropriately as the years go by. Beyond the contribution to knowledge about contemporary Nepal, this thesis makes a contribution to our knowledge about the experience of ordinary people in civil insurgencies in South Asia. It also contributes to the epistemology of people’s movements, political insurgencies and violent events that have impacted on and transformed the society of developing countries. Most importantly, the thesis has made visible the roles played by rural people in the process of making histories or bringing changes in a state governance system, an area of enquiry that has suffered from under-acknowledgement, and a lack of research.
- Subject
- Tamangs; Bahun Chhetris; ethnic groups; civil war; political insurgency; post conflict; Nepal
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1036131
- Identifier
- uon:13212
- Rights
- Copyright 2013 Asha Lal Tamang
- Language
- eng
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| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Thesis | 9 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |